A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "NO FEES Act of 2026," aims to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It focuses on changing the requirements for small business waivers regarding device fees related to annual establishment registration. The legislation redefines a small business as an entity with fewer than 20 full-time equivalent employees, including affiliates. It mandates that the Secretary grant fee waivers to these small businesses, covering 100 percent of the fee for the first three years and 50 percent for the following two years. Additionally, the bill excludes foreign companies from applying for these waivers and increases registration fees for foreign-owned or operated entities.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +8
Would business owners be better off under this?
Small businesses receive significant fee waivers for up to five years.
- Scored +7
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill mandates fee waivers for small businesses with fewer than 20 employees for up to five years.
- Scored +3
Is this likely to grow the economy?
The bill provides fee waivers for small businesses to reduce their operating costs.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Financial relief for small businesses: The Secretary must grant a waiver of the annual registration fee if an establishment is determined to be a small business, which covers 100 percent of the fee for the first three years and 50 percent for the next two years (Section 2(a)(2)).
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Clearer definitions for small businesses: The bill provides a specific definition of a small business as an entity employing less than 20 full-time equivalent employees, including those of its affiliates (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Standardized size requirements: The Secretary is required to apply Small Business Administration standards regarding size eligibility and affiliation (Section 2(a)(2)(cc)).
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Protection from historical payment scrutiny: When deciding whether to grant a waiver, the Secretary is prohibited from considering whether the establishment paid the required fee in previous years (Section 2(a)(2)(bb)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on foreign entities: Entities organized under the laws of a foreign government are prohibited from applying for a waiver and cannot form a U.S. entity specifically to apply for one (Section 2(a)(3)).
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Increased costs for foreign companies: For establishments owned or operated by an entity organized under the laws of a foreign government, the annual registration fee is multiplied by 8 (Section 3).
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Administrative requirements for businesses: To demonstrate they are a small business, an establishment must submit a copy of its most recent Federal income tax return or its most recent payroll register at least 60 days before the fee is due (Section 2(a)(2)(dd)).
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Limited duration of financial assistance: The waiver coverage expires after a 5-year period, and the amount of the waiver decreases from 100 percent to 50 percent after the initial three years (Section 2(a)(4)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Small businesses receive significant fee waivers for up to five years. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Small business owners from low-income backgrounds may benefit from lower regulatory costs.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill mandates fee waivers for small businesses with fewer than 20 employees for up to five years. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill provides fee waivers for small businesses to reduce their operating costs.
- 7/20/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced in House